Titanium

by Vanya Merilwen

Her body burns with an insatiable flame. She's driven by a hunger to protect this world and to make amends to the mistakes she's made. Can she do those things when Loki threatens to kill all? But she's not human, nor are most of her friends. The Tesseract is not in their hands, but she and her best friend have a great power that is useful. They can win. They are The Avengers.

7. Comeback

| 7 |

| . . |

Thoughts thundered through her head as she raged through the battlefield, shedding blood of a violet color and crushing bones not of this earth. Many times she had walked the line, laid down on it to allow someone else to crawl over her just so she could save them, and it was something she had done gladly. In those days, she had not been so reserved, so dangerously dark. She had been friends with Bri then. It had been before she met Remy, fell in love, married, and had her child. It was only seven or eight years after the latter fact that things had fallen apart.

There was no doubt that she had questioned herself, rolled the dice and questioned her own life. She had often lost track of those things. She often wondered what purpose she had in this world, especially when she was basically destined to live forever. What did one do when they lived forever? What did they live for? At one point, she believed she had found what she lived for, but it turned out to be something of false hope. She had fallen in love once herself, but with the wrong man. It had ended in disaster and near death for her and Bri. Since then, questions always rose, especially when Bri married. It was hard to accept that they couldn't really be just a dynamic duo anymore.

Aimee had sacrificed so much. Being disowned from the family she still loved so dearly had caused her so much pain and it had forced her to do things she wouldn't have done otherwise. She had to give up a home, money, food, and many other things just to make her family happy. They had wanted her to leave, but she had never had any other place to go. She hadn't told Bri in the beginning either, which had made her mad later on. Eventually, she was given a place to stay with Bri and Tony, which she had reluctantly agreed to. Even though she was in pain, she hated being a burden to everyone else.

It felt like that now. She could feel the pain she was about to cause, the pain she was about to suffer, and the burden she was about to be if she suffered too serious of an injury. She'd been down the road before, when the rain poured relentlessly upon her. It would soak her to the bone, chill her to the point of almost going into a coma, and to sink down lower than any human (or human-ish, in her case) ever should have to. In the end, it was the price that was paid. Everyone had to pay it. The civilians, the heroes, and the villains. She could see the agony of having to push past limits in the eyes of her comrades, and it made her ache.

It was the price that she paid.

'I know how it feels to start again. There hasn't been anyone to save me in so long.' She violently tore apart one of the Chitauri. 'Is this what it feels like when the world is going to end? But they'll see… We will make a comeback.'

Her thoughts reassured her. She dug into the ground with her massive paws, using broken rebar and asphalt as her weapons. She was conserving her energy for the bigger things that could come. She was preparing herself for the things that Loki would bring to them. She was ready to attack as she was now, but it felt as though the worst wasn't over. There was more to come and she knew it. They didn't know how vast this army was or what kinds of weapons they held. Honestly, the odds against them were ridiculous and winning seemed like a hopeless goal. They couldn't give up, though, because what other option did they have?

Her mind wandered. She pictured a graveyard, one filled with the dark pines and bright flowers rested upon the graves. Those flowers were the only sign of life in the area. There were other plants that were wilted and no creatures but the crows lingered. An eerie mist drifted between the headstones, the darkness amplified by the overcast skies above them. Each of the gravestones was engraved with their names. She could see each one was of a different font, with different sayings and titles upon them:

'Anthony Stark

Iron Man

A man of brilliance

A man with everything

DOD: June 7th, 2012'

'Gabriella LeBeau

The White Lily

A loving mother

A best friend

DOD: June 7th, 2012'

'Bruce Banner

The Hulk

He loved the world

And tried to change it

DOD: June 7th, 2012'

'Captain Steven Rogers

Captain America

A man of true honor

A man of true chivalry

DOD: June 7th, 2012'

'Natasha Romanoff

The Black Widow

Though a difficult person to love,

A good friend to most

DOD: June 7th, 2012'

'Clinton Barton

Hawkeye

The one to always see

What others could not

DOD: June 7th, 2012'

'Aimee Serasio

The Black Rose

Fiercely loyal to friends

Willing to draw blood in their defense

DOD: June 29th, 2012'

Her own was last, her date of death later than that of the others. In her mind, there was a sequence of images, the images portraying only one of many ways that this whole battle could turn out. It was a graveyard filled with dirt and with defeat. There was an unbearable weight on her soul that made her want to curl up in a ball in the middle of the road and cry. It was a place where fallen angels slept, resting among the ones that failed. She would watch them all die, wouldn't she? It was the only conclusion she could draw. It was Fate's way of punishing her for the things she had done wrong. Her crooked heart and those angels would meet at the crossroads.

These twisted images showed her that the haters would say her name, carve it in stone. She had watched them die; she had not saved them like she could have. Her heart wrenched at the thought of this, at the picture of herself lying in a hospital bed. She was writhing within herself, turning over with regret for not doing better. The world was being overtaken, her closest friends would be dead, and she had not done anything to change that fact. It felt like she didn't have anything or anyone to lean on at that point. Her thoughts hindered her ability to fight and she faltered in her footsteps. The Chitauri took easy note of this.

'Is that how it will feel to never have a friend? Even when they're right here beside me?' She tried to snap herself out of it.

There was a nasty blow delivered to her side, which blew her off her feet with ease. One of the larger of their guns had hit her, sent her barreling over a few vehicles and into the guard railing of the bridge. Everything in reality came reeling back to her, pedaling through her head like a stampede of wildebeest, shoving the horrid images away and bringing her focus together. She took in a sharp breath, the smoky air piercing her lungs and the dirt causing her to squint. She laid there on her side, attempting to regain what bearings she had left. She soon found Steve standing over her, one of his hands rested upon her massive cheek.

"Aim? Aim? Are you all right? Come on, talk to me!"

With a fierce shake of her head, Aimee managed to get the words out, "I'm fine, Steve. I just… I just let my imagination get the better of me."

"You'll be fine. Just snap out of it; we need you." He murmured, petting her fur comfortingly, but glancing about to watch for the Chitauri.

"Steve…" The tears brimmed at her eyes again. "Steve, what if we lose? What if we all die? That's what I pictured, Steve! I don't want that to happen… I don't want to watch you all die, then follow suit…"

He looked at her with those sharp blue eyes, so beautiful and clear even in this condition. "We will not fall to Loki. If we go down, then we go down fighting and we go down with pride. We are not going to die, Aim. He's not going to beat us. Keep him out of your head."

Was this Loki? Was he messing with her head, inserting those crystal clear images that caused her so much pain? He did need her to be impaired, after all. She was probably his biggest threat alongside Bri and Hulk. The Hulk, however, could be suppressed and Bri, as strong as she was, had her limits. After having a child, her body would never be as strong as it should. She had been slacking on her exercise as Tabitha's host. By a long shot, Aimee was bigger, faster, and stronger than the both of them. Ultimately, if there was someone needed to be gotten rid of on the field, it was her.

Loki was very smart. If this was him, messing with her mind, showing her these things, then he had done a genius move. He seemed to know her intimately enough to get to her inner core, but how had he done it? He was a user of magic, unlike Thor. She had no doubt that he could get into her mind, her psyche and screw with it. It made her angry to know that, and he probably felt her fury too from wherever he was. She didn't like feeling so violated, especially after what that man from a long time ago had done to her. Mental rape was unacceptable and this form of it counted. Loki was making her believe things that weren't true.

"You are not psychic, you stupid, puny child! Loki is trying to hinder you!" Carmen snarled in her ear, reinforcing her strength and energy. "Get up and fight!"

Aimee's lips twitched with amusement, a solution already working itself around in her head. She was going to get her teeth around Loki and show him the consequences for entering her mind unwarranted. He would regret doing what he had done, in the past and now. The lip curled back over the gums and she licked her teeth, shining them freshly with spit. The growl rumbled up her throat, rolling smoothly across her tongue, and tearing from between her fangs with a specific viciousness that was unmatched. Without warning, she launched herself at a Chitauri and burned him into cinders. She let out a triumphant snarl.

A scent suddenly caught her off-guard, invading her olfactory in an overwhelming manner. Through the stench of the city, which was a smoggy and toxic place, she caught the smell of Loki. He was with some of the aliens, something she was far from pleased about. Her lip curled in frustration. It would take quite a few skilled attacks to get him away from the aliens and to her so she was capable of fighting him. Slowly, a plan began to form itself in her mind. Unfortunately, it would not be something so easily pulled off, especially when she was by herself. She needed to employ the help of one of the others, though they all seemed too busy.

Reaching out with her mind, Aimee barked, "Bri!"

The response was delayed, but it came urgently, "What is it? Are you all right? I caught your fear-scent. You ought to keep that to yourself in times like these."

"For the most part, yes, I'm fine. I need your help, though. I have a way to pin Loki."

She heard her friend yowl with joyous laughter, pleased with the suggestion. "Tell me all about it! I am eager to give that God something he won't be able to get rid of."

"Get in line." Her tone was serious, though light. "I need you to freeze some of the aliens, let them fall to the ground and smash into pieces. Do the same to Loki and the aliens he is with. I intend on separating them before the ground becomes their demise."

"What do you plan on doing with him?"

"Whatever wicked things Carmen and I can come up with…"

There seemed to be a moment of awkward silence, but she snorted and chuckled, "Sounds good to me. May I be there to assist you in those wicked things?"

"Most certainly, old friend."

Several blocks away, there was a loud caterwaul, then screeching and the sound of something shattering effectively against the pavement. A grin spread across her maw and she leaped from the bridge she had been upon, trusting of Steve and Natasha being capable of protecting themselves. Her paws slipped on the loose gravel and the muck –mostly the blood of the Chitauri—that plastered the streets. There was devastation all around her and it was almost painful to see, considering she knew people were suffering from this and that she was a part of that destruction. She was also mostly the solution. It would be hard to accept they were taking lives, whether purposely human or not, but it was to prevent more loss.

"We're insane."

Aimee chuckled at Carmen, "But not alone."

The massive wolf spotted her dear friend atop the roof of a rather high building and she wasted no time in scouring the skies as the aliens fell one by one. She had to maneuver out of the way of many of them, not wanting to be impaled by ice, and had to fend off some of those whose attention they were attracting. She scented Loki once more and backed up as far back as she could go, bunching her legs up against a wall so she could use it as leverage. She watched Bri's form disappear so as to catch Loki by surprise, and it wasn't long before said man whisked close to them upon one of the alien vehicles. It was from there that she judged the amount of time she would have to complete her attack successfully.

The ice shot out at him in a beam that was far from expected. It enveloped him swiftly and ice was formed in jagged edges around them. It wasn't long before their speed dropped and they fell through the open air like a meteor. She waited in those seconds patiently for their bodies to reach the specific window before launching herself at them, using various piled-up cars to get there. Fire enclosed her fangs and she tore into the frozen water, ripping Loki from it as she propelled herself onto the high roof where Bri waited. She had to scramble through the sheer glass of the last few floors before she made it, ignoring Loki's pained cries and grunts.

Aimee tossed him with a snarl into a concrete wall, where there was a door that led into the building in it. He hit it and the breath seemed to be pulled out of him, his staff flying to the side where Bri secured it with a large foot. He grunted as he opened his eyes, surveying the odds utterly stacked against him. Aimee could feel Carmen squirming with delight underneath, eager to get her fangs around him, even if it had to be through her vessel. Fierce ruby and dazzling sapphire eyes traced the man's every movement as he struggled to get to his feet. The girls transformed back into human forms, wanting to take pleasure in what they were about to do.

"You…are both a pain in my posterior," Loki muttered unhappily, "and I grow weary of it."

Aimee grinned. "Good, because that was the plan. If we keep you focused on us and you lose, which is highly likely, then your little alien friends will be lost."

"And do we have some nasty tortures in store for you, little boy." Bri hissed.

Loki perked an eyebrow. "Little boy? You seem to forget the only thing old about you is that beast you carry, yet you are the better of this pair."

"Only sometimes." She responded, "Aimee has her moments."

"Yes, as I have observed." Loki drawled on, clearly intending to stall them from their intentions. "The two girls who grew up side by side, endured very similar hardships, and yet, the friendship ended, and then regained ground. Indeed, a very interesting pair of women you are. You love one another very much and would die for one another, am I not right? How interesting it would be to see one of you off your hinges if the other were to perish…"

Immediately, red flags went off in Bri's head. She could see that Aimee was too preoccupied with her irritation to have caught the innuendo he had been making. Fire burned in the back of her throat, making it dry and causing her tongue to feel like a clump of cotton in her mouth. Bile rose up and her nose crinkled at the taste. Her heart thudded painfully in her chest, wrenching each time it contracted. The expression on Loki's face said it all: he planned to kill Aimee, just to see what she would do. The brunette was his biggest threat. Bri couldn't let that happen.

Remy can care for Rosemarie… Besides, Loki cannot kill me as easily as one would think. One wrong blow and Aimee goes to her grave. It's the only reason Carmen is as strong as she is. Though she intended on doing something, it terrified her and would throw Aimee into a major fit of rage. But we need that right now… Otherwise…we fail.

Closing her eyes, she allowed a memory to flash through her mind for old time's sake.

She remembered it clearly. It had been one of her favorite days of all time and it had been before the pair of them had met Remy, before they had gotten involved with Giovanni. That man had caused them all sorts of pain, specifically Aimee, and almost killed them in the end. She was glad now that they were a part of S.H.I.E.L.D., but days before even them had been of a kinder and happier time. Even during her time of hatred towards her closest friend, she had gazed back upon these memories with a tender fondness. She wished she could relive them, maybe change a few things, but she wanted to be in the times when nothing really mattered.

Neither of them attended high school. They didn't need the education. They had other teachers, special ones, who taught them the things that they really needed to know. Those teachers had been a part of the division of the United States' government the pair of them were now involved in. They were originally intended to be used by S.H.I.E.L.D. as weapons or something else. It wasn't something they had known too much about; they had just been glad to receive the instruction they needed to be able to deal with what they now knew they were. It was a good thing, but it had also been a very strange and arduous process.

Learning about Carmen and Tabitha at first had not been easy. It had been hard to prove to them in the first place, but it had been managed. While Bri loved Tabitha, Aimee was having an extremely hard time with Carmen. The brunette couldn't seem to accept that she was harboring a blood thirsty monster just inside of her. Her family wasn't taking it so well and what friends she had had decided they were better off staying away from her. Bri knew Aimee, though, knew that she wouldn't hurt a fly unless it truly came down to the wire. She was the only one to remain by her side through the journey.

The other teens that they were being instructed by the same teachers with shunned her. They feared her, feared she would ultimately lose control and kill them all. Bri had always thought this to be a preposterous suggestion. She knew what Aimee was like; she was practically her sister. What real reason did they have to fear a girl they had known for years before Carmen was even revealed to them? She had wondered, too, why they didn't hate her as they hated her friend. When she asked, she was told that Carmen was a Goddess to be feared, but Tabitha was one to be worshipped. At the time, it had not been the answer she was looking for.

Bri had debated a long time on what to do. She really didn't know. Tabitha was helpful and cooperative, but, from what Aimee had told her, Carmen was not an easy female to tolerate let alone get the cooperativeness needed out of her. She had been walking one night in the meadows that surrounded the area they trained. It was nighttime, a cooler time of the day to enjoy a stroll. The stars were laid out above her, twinkling in a thick blanket of sparkling white and yellow with the occasional red and blue. The breeze was a biting chill and carried the fresh scents of the new spring daffodils and healthy green grasses.

It was calming to her and to Aimee. It was a fact she knew for sure and when her friend had not shown up for dinner that evening, she told the others not to worry because she knew exactly where she would be. She knew the others were not capable of worrying, but she didn't care about what they thought. When she had finished eating, Bri had immediately come to this place in search of her friend with a small, insulated container attached to her shoulder. In it was ice cream. Neapolitan, Aimee's absolute favorite flavor. She kept her nose wide open, following the scent trail of her best friend —practically her sister, though related in no way—had left behind.

It hadn't taken long to find her, sitting in the roots of a lone weeping willow that sat on the shore of a large pond. The water swarmed with fish of beautiful colors and the stones at the bottom could easily be seen, even at this time of day. The nightingales flitted among the branches of the trees, singing their sad melody, singing it to the girl in the roots. Aimee's knees were drawn to her chest, one arm wrapped around them and the other was held in front of her face. Her fingers twirled a delicate daffodil in between them. She adored this place and could often be found here, mostly because of the utter freedom it provided them. Moonlight washed over her pale form and the shadows moved as she let her knees down a bit, having sensed Bri long ago.

"It's gorgeous, isn't it?"

"How did you know I was here?"

Aimee glanced at her, a specific deadness in her pale blue and yellow eyes. "You were upwind. I smelled you about ten minutes ago. Is it beautiful, though?"

Bri frowned; her eyes were only that color when her fire was truly dying. "The daffodil? Yes, it's stunning. It's our birth flower, but you're older by twelve days, so yours is ultimately better."

There was a ghost of a smile that flickered across her friend's face. "I think you are far better than me in many ways."

"But you're better than me in ways, too." She shot back, flopping down beside her and resting the cooler on the ground. "I refuse to let you believe you're inferior."

Her tone was bitter, "You know I am."

"You are not!" The yell garnered a shocked expression from the brunette, but Bri carried on, "You are so much better than everyone else in this godforsaken academy! You are talented in everything, especially in the art of fighting and understanding your power! You're delicate and you're beautiful! I don't care about Carmen! I really don't and that's because I know you! She is not what defines who you are and no one else here seems to understand that! Carmen is a worthless mutt who is only out for blood! You're the same best friend I've grown up with and none of that is about to change because of some mangy fleabag!"

Aimee could only stare, her mouth agape and her eyes wide with surprise. Bri rarely ever got angry at her; it was usually at someone else who was being stupid. Although, as she allowed the words to sink in, she was able to see the effects of her actions and of the actions of everyone else. She wasn't pleased by the results. Just because people they trained with had learned about Carmen, Aimee had gone down the proverbial rabbit hole, bending every which way just to please them and make them like her again. However, she didn't really need them, did she? She had something better, something none of them combined would ever be able to replace:

Her best friend.

Looking to the daffodil, she spoke, "Daffodils are beautiful and delicate, yet able to withstand the harsh heat of the sunlight every single day. Only when that fire dies do they recede, only coming back when the fire ignites."

Bri smiled, "That sounds like us."

"That's because it is."

"You were always a whiz with poetry in middle school. Everyone always wanted your help on the unit." She chuckled a bit, smiling fondly at the memory. "But you would never give it to them, because they didn't know who you were. They only knew the name, not the face. You'd been so shy. I think, though, you could be a philosopher one day."

Aimee arched a high eyebrow at her. "A philosopher? Really? I was thinking I could be a badass demon slayer one day, considering my powers and all."

"Trying to correct wrongs that aren't even yours? Carmen is the bad one, Aim, not you…"

"I know, it's just…sometimes I feel like I'm responsible, even when I'm not."

Bri nodded, understanding how she felt about the situation. It wasn't exactly easy to learn and deal with the fact that you were carrying goddesses of massive proportions that could destroy an entire country without a problem. She sighed and opened the cooler, pulling the gallon tub of ice cream and two spoons from it. "I brought you something."

"Ice cream! Oh, how was dinner?"

She cracked the lid open, tossing her one of the spoons. "It was okay, but I suppose Chef Janna could do worse than her Barf Potato Stew."

"That bad, eh?"

"Yeah, but we have ice cream!"

"Indeed we do!" Aimee grinned widely, and then held out her spoon. "To being best friends."

Bri only lifted hers, clanging it against the other. "Forever?"

Aimee smiled and nodded. "Until the end of time."

Bri supposed the end of time was near, either for one of them or everyone. The latter would only happen if Loki were to win, which was the reason she needed to keep Aimee alive, even if she had to lose a life. Her death would infuriate Aimee enough to lose her control over her actions. She would go on a rampage and slaughter every enemy in her path to reach the one who had taken the life of her best friend from her. She knew Aimee and she knew that would be the exact reaction Loki would get out of her. Broken at first, rampage moments later.

"…I find it hard to believe you have merely tossed our relationship out the window."

Aimee's expression was furious. "What kind of relationship is it if you're condemning me to death?"

Loki smiled. "You can still join me, you know. With you on my side, I will most assuredly be crowned victor."

Bri, hardly understanding the context of the relationship part, cut in, "And you will most assuredly be crowned failure with her opposing your side."

He looked at her, seeming to understand that she had figured out his little plan, having seen her expression of realization. "You have not said much in the last few minutes, though remained attentive. Care to share your little story with us?"

"She doesn't have to share anything with you." Aimee growled, oblivious to the sudden connection the pair of them had. She walked over to his staff, prying it from Bri's foot, and flung it at him. "Fight, you coward."

As soon as the weapon was in his hands, Loki didn't hesitate to take a swing at them. The sharp edge of the blade barely missed them as it whisked above their heads and they sprang into action the moment afterwards. Bri leaped at him and aimed her fist for his face, instead striking his shoulder as he moved. The bottom of the staff struck her side and she was flung away from the pair of them with such ease that it surprised her, being thrown into the concrete wall of the small rise. She coughed; no wonder Aimee had gotten her leg shattered so easily. There was little doubt he was a match for the both of them, at least in this form.

Aimee seized the staff as it was swung at her again, grappling for it to be in her hands instead. She wanted him to lose, to have an advantage and lose it. She wanted to be able to gloat about it, and it was the only reason she gave him the spear back. His grip on it was strong, though, and he utterly refused to let go of it. Ducking slightly, he kicked out at her legs, but she jumped above them with her hands still on the spear. Taking the opportunity, he yanked on it once and threw her to the ground. He twisted it from her grasp and brought it back to hit her. When it didn't budge from behind him, he glanced there.

Bri had a firm hold just below the sharp areas of the stick. "I don't think so."

Her arm reared backwards and she lashed out at him, missing once more as he maneuvered his head out of the way. Aimee, however, kicked her foot up into his stomach and used her other leg to hook his knee and bring him to the ground with her. Rolling over, she bunched her fists together. He used the spear to bar her from hitting him. Their strength was evenly matched and the staff merely quivered between them as Bri watched precariously, waiting for something to go wrong. Aimee and Loki both shared an intense look, one that seemed aggressive yet held a specific tenderness to it that she couldn't identify the source of. The fire in Aimee's eyes had even dimmed a little.

"You are going to lose, beautiful." Loki taunted, intending to get under her skin, but there was truthfulness to his last word.

Bri perked one eyebrow curiously, though tried to use sarcasm to test her theory. "Beautiful? Aw, Aim, the villain has a crush on you."

Aimee's hold momentarily wavered, but she kept with Loki's calming green gaze rather than looking to face her friend. "Yeah, well…"

Gods above… The ginger's jaw dropped in astonishment; no wonder there was a sudden softness to her fighting, because Aimee didn't want to hurt him. "You love him…"

The sweat from the strain of holding the same position was sheening on her forehead and in her hair. "I didn't say that."

Loki smiled. "But you do not need to. After all, who knows you better than your best friend?"

With an angered grunt, Aimee shoved the staff to the side and grabbed one of his arms, flinging him across the roof. There was a sudden defiance in her stature, wanting to prove that she didn't love him, even though she was pretty positive that she did. She didn't want to harm him. She had missed his flesh with her teeth and claws many times for a reason. It wasn't what her mind wanted, but her heart was telling her otherwise. He was right, though: who knew her better than Bri? Even if she had said it outright, she'd have come to the conclusion beforehand. She as hoping, though, that she could keep those emotions from clouding her judgment.

Loki remained still as she stalked towards him and Bri seemed paralyzed by the conclusion that had clearly been made. Aimee paused a moment, but was taken by surprise as Loki sprang at her without warning, trapping her between his chest and the staff, which grinded painfully into her lower back. One of his hands grabbed at her neck and he pressed the blade of the spear into her back, forcing her to move to the very edge of the roof. There was the threat of falling, but both of them would survive it. If he took her over, he would merely have enough time to kill her. Dogs didn't have extra lives, after all.

Bri launched herself closer, but Loki stopped her, "Tsk, tsk. You ought to know better than to endanger her life like that. Besides, am I not allowed to spend a moment longer with the mundane I have come to care for?"

"I'm not a mundane!" Aimee spat, her throat constricted further by his hand. She wondered where his earlier compassion had gone, but supposed the treachery of war would take it.

"What do you want?" Bri demanded, on edge.

"I want many things, including her, but you would never give her to me so easily." He repositioned his hand slightly, loosening it and more or less cupping the side of her face. "I will take this instead."

Loki very quickly and hastily pressed his lips to hers, shocking both women. His eyes were sealed tightly, not wanting to see the bewildered expression upon their faces. Aimee, too stunned to move, could only stare at him and found herself noticing things she probably shouldn't have. His lips were soft and gentle against hers, though cool to the touch in comparison to her extremely heated skin. She found the passion there. It was undeniable that he actually cared for her. While the same was true for her, she didn't know what to do. At least the others were not there to see this, because she knew Bri could keep a secret.

He pulled away carefully, finding her breathless and returning the same feelings he must have felt in those moments. However, he grasped the collar of her shirt and threw them over the side to plummet towards the street below. Bri cried out and quickly followed. Loki released Aimee in the last second and they hit the ground in different spots, feet from one another. Bri had lost her balance as she landed and Loki went after her in an instant. Aimee was dizzy from the kiss, but looked up in time to see Loki twist the staff in his hand and aim for the ginger. It was only when she heard the sickening crunch of the blade going through skin, bones, and organs that horror struck her and she screamed the word; it was drawn out.

"NO!"